Friday, April 6, 2018

Apply Graphic Arts Principles When Designing Your Resume

Human beings are affected by aesthetics: nice looking anything grabs our attention. That is why one book warrants your picking it up while browsing, and another doesn't. Keeping basic principles in mind when creating your resume will ensure your resume warrants a good look while the next one gets passed over.

KISS Principle
The "keep is simple" idea applies to resume design. In one to three pages you will be listing an unbelievable amount of information. If you don't keep the design simple, you will lose your reader's attention. Stick to one font, one design element, one set of structural changes.

Font
Make it easy on yourself, and stick to one font. This eliminates a problem often seen in home-crafted resumes: inconsistent use of fonts. Use only fonts that are universally available. If you go fancy, you run the risk of your resume becoming seriously reformatted at the recipient's end, sometimes scrolling to an unintended multiple of pages. Size of font will depend on the font itself. For example, Arial is fine in size 10, whereas Garamond in 10 is almost illegible. Use your judgment.

Maintain the same font size and style for all similarly purposed entries. For example, if you are adding a one-line description of your past employers, and you italicize the first, continue this pattern.

Refrain from overdoing capitalized or italicized fonts as both can be difficult to read in saturation.

Coordinate Your Documents' Appearances
Borrow an idea from professionals: coordinate your resume, cover letter, and reference page so that all maintain the same header, font, margins, and design element. An easy way to stand out.

The Four Principles: Proximity, Alignment, Repetition, Contrast
Closeness implies a relationship. Proximity refers to related items being grouped together. This creates one visual unit and organizes the information for the eye of the reader.

Scattered information may reflect an unorganized mind. Alignment creates a clean look by purposefully positioning each entry on the page eliminating an arbitrary, scattered look. Stick to a left aligned, centered, or right aligned layout.

Too many knickknacks in a house turn off home-buyers, and too many graphic elements will distract a resume reader. Repetition strengthens a cohesive look, and enhances organization. Stick to one element, one font, one structure and repeat throughout.

Sameness equals dullness, and you don't wish to come across as dull and uninspired on your resume. Contrast adds interest, and eliminates confusion. If elements are not the same in function, make them quite different. For example, contrast heading font size not by just one size, but by a few.

Readability
All the above ideas lead to one vital thing: they make your resume ultra-easy to read and scan. Recruiters are busy people who will not labour over an unorganized, messy looking resume. If your resume is composed in an italicized, flowing font that is almost impossible to read, and absolutely impossible to scan through quickly, you have knocked yourself out of the running.



Saturday, March 31, 2018

Benefits of Enrolling With Online Graphic Design Courses

Graphic designing is the most universal art which has been around us since centuries in one or another form. We see millions of designs in streets, roads, magazines, advertisements, packets, labels, banners, clothing, medical pills and even on our body in form of tattoos. The main function of graphic designing is to give visual identity to entities and make them distinguishable. For example, flag designs help recognizing particular countries. Similarly, logo designs mark the unique identity of different companies. Imagine without graphic design, world will lose it's colors and turn into gray.

Pictures are more memorable than spoken words and written text. Due to this fact, visualization has become the best way of effective communication today. Graphic designer is a professional who turns messages into impressive visual elements. It is an interdisciplinary profession that requires both artistic mind and advanced technology. In early days, folk used to be in this profession to make livings with few artistic skills. But, with increasing population in designing field, competition has also increased. Everyone wants to be at world's top in graphic art.

Becoming a graphic designer is not difficult with the help of many tools available on the Internet. Some of these tools are paid and some are available free of cost. Just install in on PC and use your artistic mind to generate beautiful visual elements. With all these, you are now ready to work as freelancer or in-house. But what about professional learning? Can these open source help to give you professional assistance to learn graphic art? Undoubtedly, they save your bucks, but the time spent on learning with these tools may not worth anyhow.

For a complete learning, the best option is to join graphic design courses online. During busier day to day life, people do not get enough time to go out for learning. Online learning is absolutely the only alternative in these circumstances. With online courses, any learner can start as a beginner or revamp their existing skills. You should enroll yourself with a well-known online school with a reputed history and experience. To choose an online graphic design course, consider important point like cost of course, syllabus to be covered, class size, medium of net meeting, qualification and experience of tutor, duration of learning, career opportunity, certification and other facilities. Probably, you may not find all these qualities in one school. But choose a school possessing most of the points according to your needs and affordability.


Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Visual Communications Schools - Career Training Possibilities

When looking to earn an accredited degree in the field of communications, students have several options to choose from. One of these options is to obtain a degree in visual communications. There are various visual communications schools and career training possibilities available for students to choose from when looking to start a career in this field. Students who wish to do so can earn an associate's, bachelors, and master's degree.

*Associate Degree

With an accredited school or college students can train for an associate's degree in visual communications with as little as two years of study. Coursework may vary but typically includes the study of graphic design, animation, digital graphics, advertising design, illustration, corporate design and many other career specific courses. Students will gain the training needed to help them enter into a number of careers. Possible career professions may include:

    Graphic Designer
    Advertising Manager
    Web Page Designer
    Graphic Artist

...and many other exciting careers. With an accredited associates degree in this field students can enroll in a bachelor's degree program or begin employment.

*Bachelors Degree

Accredited bachelors degrees can be earned through a number of educational training programs with four years of study. Students will have the opportunity to study a variety of coursework based on their desired career. Subjects of study may include courses in desktop publishing, graphic arts, programming, animation, web design, computer graphics and many other courses. These educational courses will help students gain the skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career in this field. Possible careers may include:

    Communications Manager
    Production Art Manager
    Design Artist
    Web Editor

...and other related professions. Students can enter the workforce with a bachelor's degree or further their education at a master's degree level.

*Masters Degree

By enrolling in a masters degree program through an accredited school or college students can obtain their degree with an additional two years of study. Coursework at this level of degree will allow students to gain the skills needed to enter into their desired career in visual communications. Curriculum may cover studies in advanced motion graphics, design methods, design and society, critical theory in design, illustration and many other course subjects. With the knowledge learned through coursework students can pursue careers like:

    Illustrator
    Art Director
    Design manager
    Graphic Designer
    Lead Designer

...and many other visual communication professions. Students who choose to earn a masters degree in this field will gain all knowledge of the industry and be able to enter the career of their dreams.



Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Utilizing Your Artistic Talent to Create A Career in Fine Arts and Visual Communications

Imagine building your own videogame. Alternatively, imagine creating animated websites. Perhaps your interest lies in designing award-winning graphics for advertising. Flash, Websites, graphic design - they are all part of one of the hottest industries around.

Can you catch someone's eye or possibly capture his or her imagination with your particular artistic talent? Understanding how to draw an individuals eye to a certain part of a page, how to effectively use white space, and what fonts are most pleasing to the eye are all aspects that could actually help launch a career and keep it moving.

In today's' graphic industry, quite often traditional tools, such as pencils and markers for example, are still used to generate and explore ideas, while complex computer programs are used for the final product. Designers can sketch thoughts out on paper, use storyboards to illustrate the flow, and then use computers to render the final revamped and edited proof for the customer's approval.

All across the United States the demand for true artistic talent, be it traditional art or computer generated, is steadily growing. Professional agencies will almost always find permanent work for a talented, graphic art oriented individual through major companies within Corporate America, long-term assignments through placement agencies, or using them on a freelance basis. Salaries for graphic designers generally start at about $40,000 - $45,000 per year for a professional with a bachelor's degree. However, it is well documented that a professional without a college education makes far less money than someone with an acquired degree.

A search of job postings shows us that a bachelor's degree is always preferred, and a portfolio of work is an absolute necessity. A Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Visual Communications is an effective source to help you get started in this fast-moving and still growing trade. You can learn everything you need to know about this industry, from principles of design to color theory, learn computer graphics, animation, and illustration. You can build a portfolio while you earn your degree, learning and using the same programs that industry professional's use such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, PageMaker, and Flash.

You can truly make a lasting mark on the world with Flash programming. More often than not, award winning designs for web and print have catapulted passive hobbies into highly successful careers by making that one final decision. Be THAT GUY or THAT WOMAN, the one who won the Flash In The Can Best Designer or Best Developer award, or Most Promising Student award. All this and so much more is within your reach. All it takes is making that ultimate decision, to actually take that first step and get started working on a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Visual Communications. Make your ultimate dream your ultimate reality.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Going to a Good Graphic Design School Helps You Succeed in the Competitive Field of Graphic Arts

Graphic designers are the talented forces behind the ads seen in magazines, websites, billboards and various other visual displays. There are jobs for graphic designers in a wide array of industries. Where you decide to apply your creative skills depends on individual preference. The field has opportunities available areas from film to doing printed advertisements.

The role of a graphic designer is to create graphics that visually communicate the intended purpose to the viewer. These individuals possess natural skills in art as well as trained skills acquired through a school program. The classes will teach a variety of techniques used with computer and hand tools. There are degrees as well as certification programs available to become a graphic designer. There are also programs offering degrees from online learning facilities.

The degree you receive will not guarantee you a position in the field of your choice. It will, however, prepare you for the knowledge needed to succeed in fields such as marketing or film. Most graphic designers have enjoyed art of some form and have practiced perfecting their skill from as early as elementary school.

Taking graphic design courses will provide you with the options available in the field and prepare you for a career. The modern day graphic designer utilizes the use of a computer for the majority of projects required in the field. Classes will provide direct instruction for using design programs and creativity to move ahead in the field after graduation.

Even though the majority of art produced is done with a computer program this is an extremely creative field to be employed in. When you work as a graphic artist you will need to be consumer oriented. If you choose to work in advertisement the graphics produced should be appealing and grab the consumer's attention. If you choose to work as a freelancer, you will need to produce excellent work as well as be open to client recommendations and changes.

Going to school and getting a degree in design is a must for anyone serious about this kind of career. When researching school options, it should not be a program for fine arts, but one that is designated for graphic design. Many schools work with students to help them find employment during and after graduation with a company desiring a graphic design artist.

This is a college or university degree; therefore, if you are concerned about how to finance it know that there are grants, loans and scholarships available to finance your education in graphic design. It is an extremely competitive field so choosing the college to attend may play a crucial role in the positions you are offered upon graduation. Your portfolio is extremely important in the field and should include work you completed while in school as well as any small independent jobs you have done outside of class. The best kind of reference is one where you may find permanent employment. In other words while in school should you have the opportunity to intern at a company, take the chance.

A basic degree will earn you an average of fifty thousand per year, give or take a few thousand; however, with experience and a more advanced degree the earning potential increases to approximately eighty thousand or more per year. If you have a goal to be employed in a field of work you love and admired, it is important to get a great education in the field in order to excel in your field.

The demand continues to increase for graphic artists as advertisement continues to change and develop, however, as the need for a great graphic artist increase as does the completion for employment. Getting into a program that teaches you the must have bits of information needed for getting the job of your dreams is crucial. Rather you want to be in animations or print advertisements choosing a graphic arts program is the first step.



Saturday, December 30, 2017

Visual Graphics for Super Star Creative Geniuses - We Need Better Tools

There is never enough time, and an abundance of projects you may never finish in this lifetime. This is the plight of an over-achiever Visual Graphic Artist and Creative Genius. This challenge isn't new. In fact, Leonardo da Vinci had said he had only one regret in his life. That he was afraid he'd die of old age, before he completed all his projects, art work, and ideas. He was right to fear this, he died before he did, luckily he left some sketch books for us, and we've completed all those prototypes and taken his technology of the day to the next level. Okay so, let's talk about today, fast forward and let's see what challenges we face.

First, visual graphic work is slow, and even with an abundance of shortcuts, it still takes lots of time. What shortcuts you ask? Okay so, to enlighten you on this - there was a great lecture posted to YouTube on Feb 8, 2013 by concept artist Scott Robertson which "shows his incredible portfolio of work and talks with students about how to succeed in the industry." The title of the Video Lecture is: "Creating Sources of Inspiration with Scott Robertson," brought to us by the Academy of Art University.

In this lecture he explained his methodology, where he has lots of source folders with other images, where he can cut corners using base images. Yes, why not, and he reminds us that in the creative world there are no "image police" that really care if you "cheated" to speed up your work. Okay so, he's right, and I'd like ask this;

1. What if we had an artificial intelligent search feature that could work in Google Image search using your voice where you describe the base image type you are looking for and it either found one, or created one for you?

2. What if this AI software could take an image and modify it "by your command" and help you along with your visual image creation?

Why do I ask these questions?

Simple, I get two new original thoughts per day myself and I am always looking for ways to illustrate those ideas, but if I don't do it right now, and spend all day doing it, tomorrow will come and I'll have two more new concepts and so on. Thus, I just get further and further behind. So, we really need this technology now. Just as Leonardo could have used a whole army of painters, artists, prototype makers, whole teams of people at his command -- just imagine if he had? Please consider all this and think on it in 2015.